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US 2017/0303637 A1Published application
Sole Structure with Electrically Controllable Damping Element
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsAustin Orand, Christopher L. Andon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sole structure may include a damping pad. The damping pad may include a chamber, a foam element located within the chamber, particles located within the chamber and at least partially filling cavities in the foam element, and a set of electrodes positioned to create, in response to a voltage across the electrodes, an electrical field in at least a portion of the particles.
Claims30
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper;
- and
- a sole structure coupled to the upper and including an electrically-controllable first damping pad positioned in a plantar region of the sole structure, wherein the first damping pad includes
- a first chamber,
- a first foam element located within the first chamber,
- EF-reactive particles located within the first chamber and at least partially filling cavities in the first foam element, wherein the EF-reactive particles in the first chamber comprise particles of a polymer having a dipolar molecule and having sizes of 5 microns or less, and wherein the EF-reactive particles located within the first chamber are dry, and
- a set of first electrodes positioned to create, in response to a voltage across the first electrodes, an electrical field in at least a portion of the EF-reactive particles in the first chamber.
4 more elements
A sole structure comprising:
- an outsole;
- and
- a midsole coupled to the outsole and including an electrically-controllable first damping pad positioned in a plantar region of the sole structure, wherein the first damping pad includes
- a first chamber,
- a first foam element located within the first chamber,
- EF-reactive particles located within the first chamber and at least partially filling cavities in the first foam element, wherein the EF-reactive particles in the first chamber comprise particles of a polymer having a dipolar molecule and having sizes of 5 microns or less, and wherein the EF-reactive particles located within the first chamber are dry, and
- a set of first electrodes positioned to create, in response to a voltage across the first electrodes, an electrical field in at least a portion of the EF-reactive particles in the first chamber.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.